Amusement device



March 15, 1932. w, TU 1,849,414

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Dec. 2, 1930 INVENTOR WILLIAM James fi/RNBULL BY g/w -w WTTORNE'YS Patented Mar. 15, 1932 UNITED srares AMU sravmn'r imvicn Application filed December 2, 1930. Serial R o. 439,562. I

My invention relates to improvements in amusement devices, the objects of which are particularly adapted to be used in games such as curling, wherein an ice rink is unavailable,

5 or for indoor bowls and the like. Further objects are to provide a substantially circular block adapted to be projected along a floor, which is capable of developing bias or turning in a desired direction as it loses mom'entum. f

The invention consists essentially of a block having a central aperture in which a freely rotatable ball is retained, which ball is heavier on one side than the other and is 5 marked to indicate the position of the preponderance of weight therein, as will be more fully described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a general view of the ball showing its markings.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the disposition of the ball to follow a biased path.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the disposition of the ball to follow a straight ath. p In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

' The numeral 1 indicates generally a block of material which is preferably relatively light inweight and substantially circular in plan. The block is provided with a-central aperture 2 passing Vertically therethrough, which aperture is constricted at its upper and lower extremities as at 3, so as to retain therein a ball generally indicated by the numeral 4..

The ball 4: is preferably of'bronze or other 40 heavy substance and is provided with a pocket 5 on one side which is formed by drilling through the periphery of the'ball and filling the outer end of-the hole drilled with a ti htly fitting plug 6 finished on its outer l surface to conform to the contour of the ball.

i a plug is used which is of the same material as the ball to which-it is fitted, the edges of the plug are slightly bevelled asiat 7 soasto define a ring indicative of theposition of the plugintheb'allp If a ball of light weight isu'sed, ajdisparity l5 of-we'ightmay be obtained by usinga heavy.

metal plug on one side insteadof using the 1 construction-shown.

Surrounding theball at its greatest diameter and about the" longitudinal axis of them I pocket 5 is a band 8formed by indentations or otherwise to further indicate the disparity of ballweight, this band is'prefera'bly formed ofa plurality" ofV-shapedfigures9 having a similarnumber' of dots 10 between and to one '65 "side "of them, whichfldots are closer w the jli' eavy side oftheball than the light side.

"In playing the device in any game, itis thrust forward upon a plane surface so as to t impart kinetic energy to the block 1 and the ball. 4. Theenergy of the block is rapidly overcome" through-"its dra ing contact wit the playing .surface,that o thefball isslowly lost on account of its rolling movement and in consequence though theenergy of the block 7 is quickly lost, the block is earned along 'until' the kinetic energy of the ball is completely dissipated.

If the ball 4 is positioned in the block 1 as 7 shown in Figure 3, wherein the band 8 i980" A aligned with theline of thrust, said line indicating that the heavy side of the ball is to i the left of the path of travel, the device when released will travel along a straight line so long as the gyroscopic action is sulfi- 86. cient to maintain the axis of the ball, as taken longitudinally through the pocket 5 in a horizontal position, but as this gyroscopic action decreases and permits the heavy side of the ball to descend the ball will turn to the left dragging the block and describing a curve as from XY. If, however, it is desired to project the device without divergence from a. straight line, the .ball is adjusted until the plug 6 is aligned with the intended path of travel, vsuch as is shown in Figure 4. When the ball is so placed in the block and the device thrust forward, the

light and heavy sides of the ballwill alternately' form contact with the playing sur face and no tendency will be exerted to turn the device from the given straight line.

It will thus be seen that I have invented an amusement device having a rolling cong tact with a playing surface which is capable of being pro ected in a straight line or'to curve to one side or the other of a line as desired by the player.

What I claim as my invention is:

10 1. An amusement device comprising a member having. atop opening and being adapted to be projected along a surface and subject to retardation through dragging con tact along said surface, a freely rotatable element Within the member exposed to the top opening adapted to roll along said surface, and means Within the element for selectively causing the deviceto follow a curved or a straight path subsequent toits projection, along the surface. r p e 2. An amusement device comprising a member having a top opening, a freely rotatable ball Within the member exposed to. v the topopening, said member and ball'being adapted for'projection along and in contact with a surface, said ball having a weighted side and markings indicative of theposition of said Weighted side, 7 r

3. An amusement device comprising an annular member having .a flattened base adapted to bear upon a surface, a sphere freely rotatable and retained f Within the member adapted to have rolling contact with the surface, said sphere having a Weighted side and having annular markings indicative of the position of said Weighted side.

Dated at Vancouver, B. C., this 25th day of November,1930.

WILLIAM JAMES TURNBULL. 

